Topeka RoadRunners defeat Amarillo Bulls in shootout

Amarillo Bulls goalie Paul Berrafato blocks a shot against the Topeka RoadRunners on Friday night during their North American Hockey League game at Amarillo Civic Center Cal Farley Coliseum. Topeka beat the Bulls, 4-3, in a shootout.

In a crazy, intense evening of NAHL South Division rival hockey — a fight broke out before the first second ticked away — Topeka stormed back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to win 4-3 in a shootout before 1,627 fans in Cal Farley Coliseum.

Topeka won because it scored on three power-play goals and denied the Bulls all eight of their power-play opportunities, including a 5-on-3 advantage for two minutes in the third period.

Amarillo coach Dennis Williams, livid with his team for giving up a two-goal lead, said he thought Friday was the first time in three years the Bulls have experienced a three-game losing streak.

“Our power play was terrible,” Williams said. “Our penalty kill was terrible. They are better at special teams, and right now we look like third-place hockey team. Up 3-1 and losing is unacceptable.”

The Bulls are actually in first place and dropped to 26-4-5.

The game featured four fights, 26 penalties and end-to-end rushes.

Topeka (22-9-5) knotted the game at 3-3 with two minutes and 44 seconds remaining when 6-foot-6 Tyler Andrew stuffed in a goal on a hustle play from behind the net.

Both teams had their goalies — Amarillo’s goalie Paul Berrafto and Topeka’s Spencer Viele — make saves on breakaways in the final frantic 90 seconds to send the game into overtime.

After a scoreless five-minute OT, Topeka would snag the two points in the standings by winning the shootout 3-1.

“We just aren’t very good on them, are we?” Williams said when asked about the shootout struggles.

This was the seventh meeting between these two this season, and the series is currently led by Amarillo 4-3.

Following the fight-filled opening minute which saw Amarillo captain John Rey and Topeka’s Sean Gaffney square off to fight as the first puck was dropped, Amarillo scored first on forward Tyler Dereseky’s fifth goal of the season midway through the opening period.

Topeka’s equalizer arrived early in the second period Kyle Sharkey took advantage of power play and beat Amarillo goalie Berrafto 30 seconds into the period.

Before the second period had ended Amarillo’s strategy of relentlessly putting pucks on the net — Bulls outshot Topeka 37-25 on the game — paid dividends against Topeka goalie Viele.

Amarillo appeared to score go-ahead goal at the 9:32 mark of the second when forward Brady Ferguson scored by showing patience. Ferguson corralled a loose puck to the left of the net, made a move toward the goal, and slipped backhand past Viele he never saw with all the traffic.

Defenseman Joe Grabowski made it 3-1 Amarillo when Topeka was caught on ice with a long shift. Grabowski scored his second goal beating Viele upper shelf off a rebound at the 17:47 mark of the second.

Topeka did make things more than interesting for the Bulls in its impressive third period.

Forward Dan Dupell scored on a power play cutting the Amarillo lead to 3-2 at the 16:35 of the third. Then Topeka killed off a 5-on-3 Amarillo advantage midway through the period to keep its hopes alive and set up the finish.

The two teams meet again at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Cal Farley Coliseum in what should be interesting meeting since the hatred for each other escalated Friday.